


as a flower blooms in winter snow

by Burning_Nightingale



Category: Original Work
Genre: Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Vampires, medieval setting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-06-29 10:39:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15727716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burning_Nightingale/pseuds/Burning_Nightingale
Summary: The members of House Lahovary have been monster hunters and demon slayers for generations. When Gabriel Lahovary storms the ancient castle of Master Vampire Count Vântu, he intends to drive his stake right through the foul creature's heart - or die trying.As usual, things don't go according to plan.





	as a flower blooms in winter snow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [problematique_chique](https://archiveofourown.org/users/problematique_chique/gifts).



> This is set in a very loosely historical Romania - because of course, where better for vampires?

From the silent spires looming above the ancient castle, it felt like Gabriel could see half the country laid out before him.

His right hand clenched around the rough grain of his wooden stake. He'd expected to have buried it into a cold, unbeating heart by now; that or have been felled himself by the ancient evil lurking in Castle Blackwind.

But despite his rigorous investigations, that evil had so far refused to show itself.

He'd been there for hours. He'd scoured the castle from the deepest dungeon to the tallest tower, and found nothing but abandoned rooms and cold fires. Count Vântu, it seemed, had left.

Gabriel leant on the wall in front of him and tapped a fingernail on the smooth stonework. Why would Vântu leave the castle, his ancient family holding, his seat of power? As far as Gabriel knew, the vampire had rarely been seen outside his walls for countless years. The towns and villages in the surrounding area, terrified of his wrath, sent sacrifices to become his thralls whenever he asked; he never lacked for victims. 

Could he have left because he knew Gabriel was coming?

No. Madness. Lesser vampires might fear the name of House Lahovary, maybe, but not a Master Vampire of Vântu's power and influence. Gabriel's grandfather and three of his cousins had died trying to stake the fiend; he wouldn't have been afraid of the youngest son of the House.

If not fear...then this was a trap.

Gabriel spun around, possessed by a sudden thrill of fear, but there was nothing behind him. The simple circular room at the top of the tower, open to the elements at all sides, was just how it had been when he'd come up here. 

He spun the stake once and then twice in his hands, then grit his teeth.

 _Something_ wasn't right.

~

Gabriel retraced his steps, prowling through the castle with his senses on high alert. Was that something moving in that shadow? Someone speaking just beyond the next twist in the corridor? He jumped at every imagined sound or movement, his stake clutched in one hand, the hilt of his sword in the other. 

_Where is that damn vampire?_

Behind him, a soft sound. Gabriel spun towards it, his knuckles white around his stake. He saw nothing in the hallway behind him; but even as he relaxed, the sound came again. The soft rustle of fabric, the barest intake of breath. 

Gabriel sprung forward and launched himself through the nearest doorway. Inside, a bedroom, with dusty furniture and a pile of blankets and throws on the messy, unmade bed. He heard a soft squeak, and the pile of fabric moved as if something had dived underneath.

Strange. No vampire would hide from a mere human - unless they meant to burst out...

Determined to get the drop on his opponent, Gabriel leapt forward and grabbed a handful of the bedsheets and blankets, pulling them away. 

Whoever was underneath screamed.

Gabriel paused. Surely that was no vampire-

Something exploded out of the fabric pile, colliding with Gabriel's chest and knocking him flat on his ass. He struggled to bring up stake and sword, winded and gasping, and felt something blunt stab at his chest before being turned away harmlessly by his thick leather curiass. He saw a pale white hand, something flashing silver clutched in the fist; a tangle of black hair fell into his eyes, blinding him, for several seconds before the weight lifted from his chest. 

Able to see again, he got his hands under him, pushing himself into a sitting position in time to see a flash of black hair and white nightshirt go skittering across the floor and through another doorway. Rolling to his feet, Gabriel dashed after them.

Whoever his assailant was, they hadn't thought their plan through. The room Gabriel ran into had no other exit, and he could hear gasping, frightening breaths from somewhere behind the piles of trunks and discarded clothes that littered the far side of the room.

"Are you a vampire, stranger?" Gabriel asked, though he was fairly sure he knew the answer.

There was a very long pause before a small, wavering voice said, "No."

Gabriel sheathed his sword. "Then I have no quarrel with you. Come out here and let me help you."

Another long, pregnant pause. Gabriel waited, silent, unmoving; and eventually there was a rustle, and a thin, white-robed figure disentangled itself from the pile of junk. 

The stranger was wearing a long nightshirt that looked like high quality silk; his long black hair was a little tangled, but clearly had been well cared for, and when he finally tipped his head back to meet Gabriel's eyes, his face was fine-boned and achingly beautiful. Gabriel blinked.

"You...who are you?" the stranger asked, dropping his gaze from Gabriel's and looking at his hands.

"My name is Gabriel Lahovary, of House Lahovary."

The stranger's head shot up. "A vampire hunter?" 

"Good to see the family name is still well known." Gabriel flexed his hand around his stake, still on guard. This could still be a trap; in fact, it was the perfect snare. Present him with a beautiful, helpless victim, have the victim beg for his help - and then sneak up on him while he was distracted. 

"My mother used to speak of your family," the stranger said, his voice very soft and hesitant, "She said you...you were trying to kill Count Vântu."

Gabriel narrowed his eyes. "And would that please you, or cause you distress?"

" _Please_  me?" The stranger blinked, his expression shocked. "I- I only wanted to get away from him!"

Gabriel raised a quelling hand. "As you say. Though if you wish to escape a vampire, might I suggest not hiding yourself in his castle?"

The stranger frowned. "He left a week ago. And I...I have nowhere else to go."

"There are several villages in the vicinity."

"All filled with Vântu's thralls!" the stranger burst out. Then he looked stricken, and dropped his gaze from Gabriel's. "Forgive me- I didn't mean to-"

Gabriel cut across him. "Where did Count Vântu go?"

The stranger hesitated, then whispered, "To the Black Gathering."

That gave Gabriel pause. The Black Gathering - no vampire would miss it, even a Master Vampire. But had ten years really passed since the last? He counted them back in his head. He'd been alone on the road since Midwinter three years ago, and then it had been four years with his cousin, and-

Gabriel cursed; the timing was perfect.

Only an idiot would forget to check the date of the biggest gathering of all vampires in Europe. Now the empty, abandoned castle made sense; Vântu would be gone for another three months, maybe more.

Which also meant the stranger in front of him was no ruse. "You're one of Vântu's thralls?" The stranger nodded. "What is your name?"

"Mihai," the stranger said softly.

Gabriel waited, but no surname followed. "You escaped Vântu?" Another nod. "How?"

Mihai's mouth twisted. "I ran into the woods - I stayed out there for days, hiding in a cave from the dogs - then when I came back everyone was- gone-" He trailed off, twisting his hands in the fabric of his nightshirt.

"Why did you come back, if you'd already escaped?" Gabriel asked, frowning.

Mihai looked away, biting his lip. "I saw them leave. I thought I would just come back for some supplies, but..."

"You didn't leave." Gabriel tried hard not to sound too disapproving; Mihai didn't look like the type to easily be able to take to the wilds. 

Mihai fixed him with a wide-eyed, pleading gaze. "Are you going to leave? Will you...will you take me with you?"

 _Lord save me_ , was Gabriel's first thought, followed by  _No_. 

But Mihai looked so fragile, with his nightshirt and bare feet and delicate hands. He wouldn't survive Vântu's wrath if the vampire returned to find him here, and he likely wouldn't survive the wilds alone, either. 

Gabriel sighed. "Yes, you can stay with me." Mihai's eyes lit up, and Gabriel continued before he could start spewing inane thanks. "But we'll need to find you some better clothes. You can't go wandering the wilds in your nightshirt."

Mihai gave him a bright smile. "I can manage that."

~

Gabriel shouldn't have been shocked, given how big the castle was, that it would hold a wide variety of clothing within its walls. Still, it was a rather pleasant surprise when Mihai returned to him in practical, hard-wearing clothing that would be suitable for a long trek on the road. "Good enough?" he asked, giving a quick twirl.

Gabriel gave him a curt nod. "Good enough."

Mihai took a step toward the door. "So, we'll go, then?"

For a moment as he looked at the door, wild thoughts of staying, digging in and booby trapping the whole castle ran through Gabriel's head. With Vântu gone, what time could be more perfect to set up elaborate and ambitious traps? With three months at his disposal, surely even he could figure out a way to take Vântu out. 

"I could stay," he said, "Make a plan- set traps-"

"By yourself?" Mihai cut across him; his expression was one of polite skepticism. "One man cannot take on Count Vântu alone, no matter how much time he has to plan. Trust me; I've seen others try. Besides, if you stay here, who will accompany me back to safety?"

"I don't  _have_ to help you, you know," Gabriel muttered.

"But you  _promised_ you would," Mihai said; and Gabriel, soft touch that he was, couldn't say no to his new companion's pleading eyes.

Besides, Mihai was right - now the fire of determination had guttered in his heart, Gabriel had to admit that his task had been suicidal - a stupid bid for revenge, borne out of futile despair. There was no point remaining at the castle - even three months wouldn't give him the advantage over a monster like Vântu.

They travelled the road to the nearest village in silence, Gabriel keeping an alert eye on the forest that bordered the road. It would have taken Gabriel half a day's walk at his usual pace, but for Mihai he had to slow down. By the time the small settlement came into sight around a bend in the road, night had well and truly drawn in, and the gates in the simple wooden palisade surrounding the village were closed.

"Will they refuse us entry?" Mihai said, tugging his cloak closer around him.

"Not if I silver their palms," Gabriel said, trying not to let his irritation show. If he'd been on his own, he would have made it here before the gates shut.

A guard appeared when Gabriel hammered on the gate, and accepted his discreet bribe with no more than a token protest, even pointing them in the direction of the village's single inn with a cordial wave and a knowing wink. They crossed the tiny main road and Gabriel opened the green-painted front door of the inn; a blast of thickly scented, heavy warm air washed over his face as he stepped into the room.

Inside, the inn's main dining room was dark and low-ceilinged, with a roaring fire in the huge fireplace to his right, and a scruffy-looking group of villagers gathered around the long bar at the back of the room. Several turned to stare as Gabriel and Mihai stepped inside, but he was used to the stares. He'd frequented more tiny inns exactly like this one than he cared to remember.

Keeping a brisk stride and confident set to his shoulders, Gabriel strode toward the bar. The patrons shuffled backward to let him through, and he drew many more eyes; but the only attention he cared for was the barmaid's, who gave him a curtsey as he reached her. "Food and drink for the night, and a room if you have one," Gabriel said to her.

She nodded. "Only got the one room, sir," she said, "Will that suit?"

"We'll make do," Gabriel said, already fishing in his money pouch.

Once they were seated in the furthest corner from the bar, steaming hot meals in front of them, Mihai said, "You come to places like this a lot, don't you?"

Gabriel grunted an affirmative, pulling apart the rough, dark bread the barmaid had served along with their stew. 

"Do you enjoy...this?"

Gabriel looked up at him, one eyebrow raised. Mihai was looking back toward the bar, at the villagers - some of whom were still looking their way. "You're used to better, then? The son of nobility?"

Mihai's gaze jumped back to his. "Oh, no, I mean- well, I suppose I  _am_  used to better, though I was born to peasants. But in Count Vântu's castle, everything is very, well,  _lavish_..."

"The best living standards you could ask for - all in exchange for your blood, of course."

Mihai's hand rose, and he rubbed a patch of skin on the left side of his neck, not even seeming to notice what he was doing. "More than blood, sometimes."

Gabriel opened his mouth to ask, but Mihai shook his head and returned his hand to the table. Gabriel could almost see the shadow of some deep, painful memory playing out in Mihai's head as his companion ducked his head and started to spoon up his stew. A heavy silence fell over their table, barely touched by the distant sounds of the fire and the low voices of the other patrons at the bar and tables. 

"I'm sorry," Gabriel said, surprising himself. When Mihai looked up at him, he continued haltingly, "For you...for what you went through. With Vântu. If my grandfather had been successful, you wouldn't have had to deal with any of that."

Mihai didn't say anything for a moment; then he said slowly, "At least you tried."

 _At least_ you  _tried._ It surprised Gabriel, how good it felt to hear Mihai acknowledge that he  _had_ tried; that he had done  _something._

Of course, the guilt came only a moment later. "I did nothing," Gabriel said, poking at his own stew. "I forgot to check the calendar and broke into the vampire's castle the one time in ten years he hasn't been home."

"All the better for me," Mihai said, "Otherwise I'd still be there, shivering under all those dusty bedsheets, wondering how I was ever going to pluck up the courage to leave."

"You would have done."

"Maybe." When Gabriel looked up, Mihai was smiling at him. "But you definitely helped."

Gabriel had nothing to say to that; he gave a nod, then focused on his stew. 

They ate the rest of the meal in silence, then followed the barmaid up a rickety staircase to their room. "Washing facilities are all out in the yard. There are buckets by the well," she informed them briskly, before handing the key to Gabriel and disappearing again. 

"You can take the bed," Gabriel said instantly. "I'm used to roughing out the night on the floor."

Mihai looked uncertain. "But you paid for the room."

"And I don't want you complaining about sore muscles tomorrow at breakfast," Gabriel said, "So you get the bed." He waited until Mihai moved toward it, then wrapped himself up in his cloak and stretched out on the floor, placing his pack under his head. Still just as uncomfortable as any floor - but warmer than the ground outside.

"Aren't you going to take off your boots?" Mihai asked; when Gabriel glanced over, he could see Mihai's hands hesitating at his own laces. 

"Never know when you might need to fight off a vampire or troll or lich in the middle of the night," Gabriel said. 

He'd meant it as a joke, but Mihai paled and whispered, "That  _happens_ to you?"

"Not at inns. Usually." Gabriel waved an irriated hand at him. "If you're going to use the bed you might as well enjoy it; take your boots off and get comfortable."

Mihai followed his instructions, abandoning his boots, cloak and outer tunic at the end of the bed. Thus made comfortable, he wrapped himself up in the thin blankets and leant over to blow out the singular candle. 

A few seconds after the light went out, Gabriel heard Mihai say softly, "Gabriel? Where are we going, exactly?"

"Wherever's home for you, I suppose."

There was a long moment of silence; then Mihai said, "I don't...I don't want to go home."

Gabriel twisted to look at him in the darkness, but all he could see was a rough lump of darkness just above the darker mass of the bed. "You don't want to go home?" he repeated, dumb with shock.

"Those people...my parents...they gave me to the vampire because they were too afraid to defy him, and too greedy to go somewhere safe. If I went back, they might even tell him where I escaped to, if they thought they could get something out of it."

One part of Mihai's speech stuck out to Gabriel. "They were too greedy to go somewhere safe?" he asked.

"The Count had looked on them with favour, and given them a very reasonable tax on the produce from their land. Father kept grape vines, you see, only a small field, but the wine they produced was the Count's favourite. He gave them incentives to stay, even though we could have moved to live with my mother's sister, she married a rich man in the city..." Mihai blew out a frustrated breath. "He even paid them when he took me. Usually he demands thralls as part of a tithe, but for my parents he made an exception, gave them gold, because they were interesting pets who kept doing a funny trick with wine..." Mihai trailed off, his voice choked.

Gabriel opened his mouth, then closed it. Nothing profound or helpful or even comforting was coming to mind; in the end, when he opened his mouth again, what came out was, "I didn't know vampires could even drink wine."

There was a second of tense silence; then Mihai let out a choked little laugh. "All that," he said, "And vampires drinking wine is what trips you up?"

"Sorry," Gabriel muttered, which only served to make Mihai laugh more.

"So, if not home, where  _do_ you want to go?" Gabriel asked, cutting across Mihai's lingering giggles. 

"Targoviste," Mihai said without hesitation. "My aunt and her rich husband live there. Maybe they'll help me."

Targoviste - Gabriel hadn't been to a city that big in years. His mind recoiled at the thought of the crowds; but there would be blacksmiths there, experts trained in arts unparalleled by village crafters trained to make horseshoes and nails. He could have one of them touch up the chips and dents on his sword, or buy an entirely new one, if he saw something that caught his eye. And he could replace some of his more tattered clothing, buy a new pack, and sleep in a bed free of bedbugs for once. He could buy new  _socks._

"Very well, Targoviste it is," he said, smiling despite himself. 

"Thank you." Mihai fell silent, and Gabriel assumed he'd go to sleep; his own eyelids were drooping when he heard Mihai say, "Do you think there are bedbugs in this bed?"

"Almost certainly," Gabriel said around a wide yawn.

"Urgh. I  _hate_ travelling."

~

They set out again the next morning, bright and early while mist still hung in places over the dips in the road. Gabriel could tell Mihai was miserable, unused to being up so early or out in the cold of a morning just past dawn, and he tried to rein in his frustration. Someone who'd lived most of their life sequestered in a lavish castle couldn't be expected to relish the hardships of the road.

"Why do you live like this?" Mihai grumbled when they took a break at mid-morning. "Do you enjoy it? This travelling?"

Gabriel paused as he thought about it, chewing on his portion of the hard bread he'd shared between the two of them. "Yes and no. There are things to enjoy about being on the road. But mostly I do this because..."  _Because I don't have anywhere else to go._  That was the truth, but it was too personal, too painful to reveal to Mihai. "Because it's my job."

"So you like vampire hunting?"

"I hunt all manner of creatures, not just vampires," Gabriel said. "And yes, I suppose I enjoy it. I've never really....thought about it in terms of enjoying it or not. It's just what I have to do."

Mihai gave him a long look, as if he were judging him or sizing him up. Then he said, "That's a very noble thing to say."

"I suppose I'm just a noble man," Gabriel said, feeling inexplicably stung by Mihai's skeptic tone.

Mihai's eyes widened. "I didn't mean-"

"Come on." Gabriel got to his feet. "We should be moving on."

Come nightfall, Gabriel's biggest concern was keeping watch. 

By necessity when Gabriel travelled alone he had to risk sleeping unguarded, simply because there was no one else around to watch his back. But that was his risk; Mihai was his responsibility, and now he'd accepted that role, he felt duty bound to keep him safe. But he wouldn't be able to stay up all night - and if he did, he'd be useless come morning.

"I'll take the first watch, and you have the second," he told Mihai. He intended to stay awake as long as he could bear, to minimize the time Mihai was left guarding the camp on his own.

Mihai seemed to pick up on his reservations; he darted a nervous look at the dark forests, his hands twisting the fabric of his cloak. "You want me to watch?"

"I can't stay up all night."

After another moment's hesitation, Mihai gave a quick nod. "I can- I can do it."

"Good." Gabriel motioned toward their bedrolls. "Now, get some rest."

He managed a good six hours, by his reckoning. Nothing moved in the shadows beyond their banked fire, but Gabriel gave Mihai his sword anyway before he turned in, despite Mihai's reluctance to take it. As Gabriel laid down to sleep, he was reassured that it would be no more than three or four hours before daybreak; surely Mihai could manage until then.

In retrospect, it made sense that a creature as smart as a werewolf would wait until he was asleep to attack.

The thing that jolted him back to consciousness was the one sound he'd been desperately hoping not to hear; Mihai screaming. His first thought was  _vampire_ , a thought that had him rolling out of bed and reaching for his stake before his mind caught up with his body.

Across the fire, Mihai was holding the sword up, pointed straight out at a dark shape that prowled at the edge of the road. Even from here Gabriel could see the sword wobbling in Mihai's shaking hands. The thing pounced in Mihai's direction even as Gabriel jumped toward him, both of them leaping on a collision course. Gabriel, lighter and closer, got there seconds faster, enough to get his arm around Mihai and knock him out of harm's way even as he brought up his left arm to shield them.

Naturally, the werewolf latched onto the proffered limb and sunk its sharp teeth into Gabriel's flesh.

Pain like sickening, burning lightning shot down Gabriel's arm, but he cut it off, forced himself to ignore the screaming agony in his arm. He used the werewolf's grip on his arm to pull it closer, close enough that he could almost lean over and kiss its wet black nose; then he hooked his other arm around its neck, catching it in a chokehold. 

The creature struggled, digging its teeth into his arm, but Gabriel held firm, tightening his arm. If he choked it hard enough, it might loosen its grip.

He felt the creature's body rock, and it released his arm with a long, drawn-out yowl. It pulled free of his chokehold with a violent wrench, writhing and skittering across the ground; it took Gabriel a few seconds to see his sword, buried up to the hilt in its side.

Screeching like the devil, the werewolf crashed off into the undergrowth, its howls fading as it disappeared into the forest.

Gabriel let out a breath, then let the pain wash over him, a choking wave strong enough to drive him down onto one knee.

"Oh God, Gabriel, your arm-" Mihai was there in front of him, nervous hands fluttering around the ragged wound at his elbow.

"I'll survive." Gabriel forced the words through gritted teeth, feeling fiery pain throb through his arm. He ripped away the tattered remains of his sleeve, revealing bloody slashes through his elbow. There were deep, but not deep enough to see bone - one point in his favour, at least. "Bring me my bag; I've got bandages."

Mihai scurried off behind him and returned with his bag. He pulled the flap open, holding it so Gabriel could root around inside with his one good hand. "I'm so sorry, your sword-"

Gabriel bit his lip, forcing himself not to curse. In his mind's eye the image of the werewolf crashing off into the forest mocked him, his sword's hilt gilting silver where it had lodged in the monster's shoulder. "It's fine," he said, forcing the words out.

Mihai's face crumpled. "No, I did  _everything_ wrong-"

"Don't cry," Gabriel snapped, too harsh.

Mihai blinked at him, his eyes watery. "I- sorry."

Gabriel began wrapping the bandages around his wound, hissing a breath through his teeth at the pain. "No, I..." He paused, then said softly, "It reminds me of my cousin. That's all."

Mihai tiled his head. "Your cousin?"

"My cousin," Gabriel said, hoping his tone discouraged further discussion. 

Mihai seemed to get the hint; he didn't say anything else until Gabriel had bound the wound and pulled his cloak over his mostly-bare arm. "Do you want me to stay on watch?"

Gabriel shook his head. "We'd best get going; I don't want that thing to come back."

~

A week later they reached Targoviste.

Gabriel's arm was still bothering him, but his liberal applications of salve seemed to have staved off infection for now. The rest of their trip had passed without incident, though Gabriel had felt nervous each time he laid down and closed his eyes, sometimes almost too nervous to sleep. To his credit, Mihai hadn't complained about taking his share of the watch, though after the disaster of his first watch Gabriel had half expected him to. 

The flow of traffic on the road around them had been slowly increasing since they'd come within two days travel of Targoviste; on the morning they crested the last hill and came in sight of the city, the road was busy, packed with horses and wagons and travellers on foot just like them. 

"I'm so glad we're finally here," Mihai said as they passed through the tall city gates. "I've never looked forward to a bed like this before. And no possibility of attacks by wild animals or monsters!"

"No, but keep an eye out for pickpockets," Gabriel said, scanning the crowd around them.

"Who're going to pickpocket all my non-existent money?" Mihai laughed. It was obvious how much more relaxed he was now they were here in the city. 

"You really didn't think to steal anything from Count Vântu's vault?"

"You really don't think he keeps all his gold sealed away behind several complicated locks?" Mihai said. "He keeps the key on a loop around his neck, y'know. A cliché, but effective." His lips quirked up into a cheeky grin. "Oh, Gabriel, were you intending to plunder his treasure after you killed him?"

Gabriel frowned, but he could feel his face colouring. "Maybe."

Mihai laughed. "I wouldn't blame you. You'd be able to fund your family for several generations on what he has stashed away in that vault of his!"

"That would've just been a bonus to killing Vântu," Gabriel admitted.

Mihai turned his head and gave him a keen look. "Really? Killing Vântu would have been more important to you than his literal hill of gold?"

"Unlike you, Mihai, not everyone is primarily motivated by money," Gabriel said; he was trying for scathing, but his tone sounded far too fond.

"Well unlike you, Gabriel Lahovary, not everyone can be endlessly noble and self-sacrificing every hour of the day," Mihai said, still grinning at him.

Gabriel frowned. "I'm not-"

"No, I won't hear you deny it. I've only been with you a week and it's already obvious." Before Gabriel could get another word in, Mihai perked up and pointed ahead. "Oh look, the main square!"

They'd been swept along with the crowd down the main street that led from the gates, all the way to the wide, bustling central square. The market was in full swing, the crowd swelling and hurrying with all its usual chaos. Gabriel took a grip on Mihai's elbow and steered him toward the outer edge of the square. "Do you know where your aunt lives?"

Mihai shook his head. "Not exactly. I know she owns an apothecary, though."

"That should make her a lot easier to track down." Scanning the crowd, Gabriel could already see some potential stalls he'd like to visit; a leatherworker, to fix the holes in his boots and procure a new bag, and a tailor, to get a new shirt (and, if there was money left, new socks). "I have a few stalls to visit; we'll ask some questions while we shop."

The leatherworker pronounced his boots unfixable, though relented that they could serve as a spare pair once they were mended, if Gabriel would buy a new pair from his fabulous selection. Gabriel recognised it for the marketing ploy it was, but he could use a new pair of boots - and the stall owner gave him a significant discount for the boots and a new bag together. As he changed into the new pair he asked about Mihai's aunt, realizing belatedly that he'd forgotten to ask her name; though given the leatherworker's lack of familiarity with any apothecary in the city, that didn't matter. 

On their way to the tailor, Mihai revealed that the woman he was looking for was named Adela. Gabriel had to ask the question twice; Mihai didn't hear him the first time, distracted by the wares of the stalls they were passing. 

"Given how lavish Vântu's castle was, I'm surprised you're impressed by any of this," Gabriel said.

"I've never seen anything like this!" Mihai opened his arms to encompass the bustle of life around them. "Everything was always so solemn and  _quiet_ back in the castle. Here everyone is just-  _alive_. They're not tiptoeing around, always waiting for the headsman's axe to drop."

"That sounds horrible," Gabriel said quietly.

Mihai waved a dismissive hand. "It's over now. I don't really want to think about it anymore."

Something in his posture and tone told Gabriel he felt a lot less casual about it than he was trying to seem, but he let it go. If Mihai was happy now, it wasn't worth arguing about. "Here's the tailor," he said instead, "Adela, did you say her name was?"

The tailor was happy to sell him a shirt at a reasonable enough price, and even threw in the socks for half their usual price. He also knew Adela the apothecary, and pointed them to a street on the south side of the city. It was an affluent neighbourhood, Gabriel noted as they arrived, a street of large, tall buildings, all well-maintained and brightly painted, with expansive shops occupying the ground floors and what looked like spacious apartments above for the merchant's families. "He must be a rich merchant," Gabriel said.

"Very." Mihai was twisting his hands in his cloak again, something Gabriel had often noticed him doing when he got nervous. "Oh God, what if they don't want to take me in? I don't have any money or any skills, I don't know if I can make it alone in the city-"

"Best not to worry about it before you've even asked," Gabriel said, reaching out to somewhat awkwardly pat his shoulder. "Come on; I can see the sign for the apothecary just up there."

The shop that presumably belonged to Mihai's aunt had large front windows, where a great variety of herbs and bottled tinctures were displayed in neat little arrangements. Above the door, the sign displayed a bottle and a sprig of herbs, the wood finely carved and well painted. When Gabriel opened the door and stepped into the shop, an assault of thick, musty herb smells hit his nose, making it twitch. 

Someone inside the shop laughed. "You should see your face," a woman's voice said.

Looking up, Gabriel saw a long counter, behind which a woman stood, grinning at him. Her black hair was tied up somewhat haphazardly away from her face, and her clothes were practical and dotted with stains. Despite her disheveled appearance, her pretty, fine-boned face gave her an arresting look - and bore an unmistakable resemblance to Mihai. 

"I recognise that crest," the woman said, nodding to Gabriel's chest; he assumed she meant the clasp that fastened his cloak. "I've had a few Lahovary's in here since you lot moved in; haven't seen you before, though."

Gabriel blinked. "Since we moved in?"

She tilted her head. "Yes? Three months ago?"

He'd had no idea, but he could feel Mihai hovering behind him, so Gabriel just shrugged and said, "Right, yes. I'm Gabriel Lahovary, pleased to meet you."

"Adela Muresanu," she said. "What are you looking for? I've started keeping a few more specialist products in stock, since all of you moved into town."

"Actually, it's my friend who has business with you," Gabriel said, and he stepped aside.

Mihai, unexpectedly revealed, froze up, staring over at Adela. For a moment Adela too seemed frozen, staring at Mihai; then she let out an explosive breath. "Well, if you aren't Rozalia's, I'll eat my boots. Finally got tired of the country, kid? What was your name again? Mi-something?"

"Mihai," Mihai said quietly, "My parents, erm, sold me to a vampire, actually, so I didn't really want to...go back."

Adela paused, as if waiting for Mihai to reveal that he was joking; when he didn't, she raised her eyebrows. "Sold you to a vampire?"

Mihai shrugged. "He offered them a lot of money."

"Well." Adela crossed and then uncrossed her arms, seeming unsure of how to react. "I always knew she and that husband of hers were mercenary, but..." She looked at Gabriel. "And I suppose I have you to thank for helping him escape?"

"Actually, he'd already slipped away from him before I got there," Gabriel said. "I just...helped push him onto the road."

"Well, I'm sure there's a story there." Adela's face broke into a small smile. "I'm sure you'd have no objections to dinner?"

Mihai's smile in return made something loosen in Gabriel's chest; he hadn't realized until that moment how worried he'd been that his family wouldn't be willing to have Mihai stay with them. But it seemed the reality was just to opposite; Adela took them into the back of the shop, promising that her husband would be back soon - apparently she only watched the front of the shop in his absence, as he was 'more suited to dealing with customers' - and set them up with hot tea and biscuits before leaving them be. 

"She seems nice," Gabriel said, "I hope you'll be happy here."

Mihai smiled at him. "I hope so. I was so worried, before; but maybe I can help with the shop, in some way..."

"The chance to learn the apothecary's trade is one many would jump at," Gabriel said. 

"And perhaps...I mean, Aunt Adela said she'd been selling to your family, so perhaps we could see each other again, if you needed...anything?"

The reminder of Adela's previous words about his family dampened Gabriel's good mood like a bucket of cold water. "Hmm. Maybe."

Mihai picked up on his change of mood immediately. "What is it? Did you...fall out with your family?"

For a long moment Gabriel didn't answer. He was so used to not speaking about his family at all; it was easier just to deflect, dodge and avoid the question. 

But Mihai's expression was so open, and trusting, and Gabriel found the words coming more easily than they ever had before. "Everything was fine - we had our problems, but it was fine. They were...overbearing, I suppose, but it was easy to ignore it, when Andrei and I were alone on the road."

"Andrei?" Mihai asked.

"My cousin; my father's brother's child. We grew up together - he was like my brother."

"You had no other siblings?"

"An elder sister, but she always preferred magic to the physical fighting arts. She spent a lot of time with my grandmother, so I didn't see her all that much. Andrei and I spent a lot of time with my parents when we were children; they trained us to be hunters, from start to finish."

"What happened to Andrei's parents?" Mihai asked, leaning forward; he looked engaged in Gabriel's story. It had been a very long time since anyone had looked at Gabriel with such open interest like that. 

Gabriel snorted. "Nothing happened to Andrei's parents. Uncle Varujan and Aunt Zana were more interested in spending their time hunting than raising their child."

Mihai looked affronted. "Really?"

"It happens. Someone has to hunt the monsters, after all."

There was a moment of quiet before Mihai asked, "So...why did you stop travelling with Andrei?" When Gabriel didn't answer immediately, Mihai looked stricken. "He didn't...he didn't die, did he?"

Gabriel shook his head. "He's fine. It was...my father who died."

"Oh. Oh, Gabriel-"

Gabriel cut him off before he could continue, unwilling to hear even the most well-meant consolation. "It was Vântu. Father and Uncle Varujan were angry, after Vântu killed grandfather, so they went to hunt him together...and only Varujan came back. I was so angry, I lashed out at him, accusing him of leaving Father to die, of abandoning him..." Gabriel shook his head. "I never really believed that, but I've never liked Varujan. He always treated Andrei like an afterthought, as if he'd forgotten they were father and son, and he used to order my father around like he was some sort of servant-" Gabriel stopped himself, aware he was raising his voice. He took a deep breath. "It just felt good to yell at him, even if what I said was nonsense. But with grandfather and father gone, he was the head of the household, so he banished me." 

"He banished you?" Mihai repeated, his eyes wide with shock.

Gabriel shrugged. "I suppose I deserved it, throwing around unfounded accusations like that."

"You were grieving!" Mihai protested.

"There's not much room or sympathy for grief in the Lahovary household," Gabriel said, surprising himself with how bitter he sounded. "Members of House Lahovary die all the time. It's a fact of life."

"Then it's an awful way to live." Mihai leant over the table and grabbed Gabriel's hand. "Even among the thralls in Vântu's castle, we made our own family. We grieved for days if any one of us died. It's normal -  _human_."

Hesitant, Gabriel turned his hand and laced his fingers with Mihai's. "Did thralls die often?"

"No; if Vântu has any good qualities, at least he's careful with his thralls. But sometimes- well, his some of the vampires who visit him aren't as careful. Sometimes one of them would take too much blood - or people would try to escape into the woods and never be seen again, or they would find a way out onto the battlements..."

"If we're competing, I think you win the prize for the darkest past," Gabriel said.

"We're not competing, Gabriel," Mihai said, his voice very soft. 

They stayed like that for a second, and Gabriel found himself tongue-tied, unable to find anything to say to the soft look in Mihai's eyes and the hand that was still entwined with his.

"Will you go and see them?"

"What?" Gabriel asked, blinking.

"Your family - they moved into the city recently, didn't they? Will you go and see them?"

"I'm banished. I couldn't visit even if I wanted to - they wouldn't let me in the door." Gabriel shrugged. "And that's fine by me. I've been alone these last three years, and it hasn't hurt me much."

Something in Mihai's expression said he didn't believe that, but at that moment the door opened to reveal Adela. "Ready for dinner?" she asked, raising an eyebrow when she spotted their joined hands.

Gabriel sprang up from the table, his hand slipping out from Mihai's. "Yes, ma'am."

Adela laughed. "No need for such formality, Lahovary. I hope you like beef stew!"

Right now, a nice comforting bowl of beef stew sounded like exactly the right tonic for Gabriel's frayed nerves. "Lead the way," he said, making Adela laugh again with a dramatic, expansive hand gesture.

~

Adela wouldn't hear of Gabriel and Mihai staying anywhere else but in their guest bedroom, and her husband Sebastian agreed. He seemed excited about the prospect of increasing his favour with House Lahovary by hosting Gabriel, who carefully didn't mention his current relationship with his family. They had a friendly, noisy dinner together with Adela, Sebastian and their son Luca, then retired to the comfortable guestroom that overlooked the street outside. Unlike their stay in the inn together, this time they both had their own bed.

A few minutes after Gabriel blew out the candle, Mihai asked, "Gabriel? Will you stay a while, here in Targoviste?"

Gabriel thought about it for a moment. "If your aunt and uncle don't mind."

He could hear the smile in Mihai's voice when he said, "Good."

Gabriel spent the next few days trying to remember how it felt to relax and have free time. Sebastian had decided Mihai's pretty face would be a boon to their business front of house - "Weak-minded customers are always distracted by a pretty face, and distracted customers buy more," was his reasoning - so Gabriel saw little of him during the day. At night they had dinner with Mihai's family, or they walked down to the inn where Sebastian liked to drink; and in the day Gabriel often found himself wandering alone, taking in the sights and sounds of the city. 

After four days, a letter arrived at the apothecary, addressed to Gabriel.

"Who would even know you were here?" Mihai asked as Gabriel broke open the seal.

He didn't need to ask; the seal told him enough. He scanned the words of the letter, his lip curling. "It's from my uncle," he said, resisting the urge to just toss the letter aside.

He heard Mihai suck in a breath. "What does he want?"

"He's  _summoning_ me to an audience with him," Gabriel spat. "As if he can just  _demand_ my presence after all this time-"

Mihai was suddenly beside him, laying a hand on his arm. "You should go."

Gabriel looked at him incredulously. "Why?"

"You said yourself you never believed those things you said about your uncle. You should tell him - so you can see your cousin and your mother again."

Gabriel hated the spark of hope that flared in his chest at Mihai's words. If he could see them again-

He shook his head. "There's no guarantee he'll rescind my banishment-"

"But if you don't go, it's guaranteed that he won't, isn't it?" When Gabriel didn't answer, Mihai squeezed his arm. "It's okay; I'll come with you."

Gabriel let out a heavy sigh. "Very well."

~

House Lahovary's Targoviste mansion was a beautiful stone building that sprawled across one entire side of the street. It had belonged to another Lord previously, Adela had told them, but he had lost his fortune and sold up, allowing House Lahovary to finally purchase a home worthy of their status within the city.

They were greeted at the door by a stoic servant, who led them through several beautifully decorated hallways and up a flight of stairs to what Gabriel assumed was Varujan's study. As he opened the door he announced, "Gabriel Lahovary and friend, here to see you at your request, my lord."

The room inside was startlingly bare, with only a desk and a few chairs occupying the space. One bookshelf sat behind the desk, it's shelves populated by what Gabriel recognised as bestaries. 

Varujan was sitting behind his desk; he didn't rise when Gabriel and Mihai entered the room. "And friend?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at Mihai. 

"Mihai Muresanu," Gabriel said. "I've been staying with his family."

"Muresanu," Varujan repeated, "Not the apothecary Muresanu?"

Mihai nodded. "I am his nephew, sir."

"Hmm. Well, Mihai Muresanu, this is a private meeting. I would appreciate you waiting outside."

Mihai glanced at Gabriel, who gave a tiny nod. Mihai gave the most perfunctory of nods to Varujan, and then left the room.

The moment the door closed, Gabriel could feel the temperature drop by several degrees. "Was there something you wanted me for, uncle?" he asked, trying to keep his tone civil.

"I wondered what you were doing here, knowing we were newly arrived in the city," Varujan said, his eyes taking in Gabriel's appearance. "I don't want you stepping on toes."

Gabriel felt the little flicker of hope he'd nursed in his heart wither and die. If all Varujan wanted was to warn him off his turf, then there was nothing more to be said. "I didn't know you'd moved here until I arrived," he said, his tone cold as the winter wind. "If all you want is that I not interfere in your hunts, you need not worry; I'll be gone within the week."

"Good." Varujan fixed him with an icy look. "It would be best if you didn't return."

There was no question that he would return, if Mihai stayed here. Gabriel hadn't thought about it like that before, but the thought of never seeing Mihai again was so repellent it made his heart seize. 

But Varujan didn't need to know that. "Whatever you say," he snapped, "Are we done here?"

Varujan nodded. "Indeed." He made a dismissive gesture, and Gabriel turned and walked out, not even bothering with pleasantries.

Mihai was waiting just outside the door; he had to run a few paces to catch up with Gabriel when he stormed out. "It didn't go well," he said.

"He just wants me to leave," Gabriel said.

"Leave?" Mihai caught Gabriel's arm, drawing him to a stop. "You're not going to, are you?"

"I'll come and go as I feel like it, and he can deal with it," Gabriel said. "I don't think I can stand being here much longer. Let's go."

Mihai offered no objection. At the front door they found the same servant waiting for them; Gabriel almost told him to pass on where he was staying, in case Andrei or his mother asked, but then he decided against it. The servant would only tell Varujan, who would make a fuss.

Out in the street, Gabriel finally felt like he could breathe again. His hope of being able to see his family again was dashed, but it was almost enough to have been validated in his hatred of Varujan. What true uncle would treat his nephew like that over a few grief-stricken remarks he'd made years ago?

He felt Mihai take his hand. "Do you want to go back to the shop?"

Despite the anger still simmering in his chest, Gabriel smiled. "I'd love to."

~

"You don't seem as upset as I thought you'd be."

Gabriel turned his head and looked at Mihai. He was sitting on his bed, running a brush through his long dark hair. "I'm not as upset as I thought I'd be."

"Any idea why?"

Gabriel shrugged, but he found himself smiling. "I guess I get a kick out of knowing Uncle Varujan can't stop me from returning to Targoviste, whatever he might demand."

When Mihai turned to look at him, his expression was worried. "Are you sure he can't? If he paid off the guards-"

"I'd find another way in," Gabriel said, lazily confident. "I have you to visit, after all."

Mihai raised an eyebrow, an expression he'd picked up perfectly from Adela. "I don't want you risking your neck getting into the city illegally just for me."

"Like I said before; no point worrying about it before it happens." Gabriel couldn't explain why he was in such a good mood, but everything seemed to have settled into place. "Why don't you let me do that for you?"

Mihai blinked at him. "What? My hair?"

Gabriel nodded, standing. "I used to do the same for my cousins, sometimes. Come on, give me the brush."

Mihai surrendered the brush - somewhat reluctantly - and Gabriel set to work running it through his hair, perching on the bed behind him. The long black strands already felt silky smooth to Gabriel, but he kept brushing anyway, wondering at the loveliness of them running through his hands. 

They sat in silence for long minutes, the soft sounds of the brush through hair the loudest sound in the room. A sense of calm and peace was spreading and settling through Gabriel, and his breath slowed; the motion of brushing was almost hypnotic, making his eyes heavy.

"You can probably stop brushing now, Gabriel," Mihai said, his voice almost a whisper.

Gabriel put the brush aside, and without thinking about it started to pull Mihai's hair back into a braid. He only realized what he was doing when Mihai made a soft noise of surprise. 

"Sorry," he said, his hands still full of hair. "I just...did it automatically."

"You...you don't have to stop," Mihai whispered. 

Gabriel hesitated for a second; then he kept going, winding all of Mihai's hair up into a braid that started at the top of his head and hung heavily all the way down his back. He tied it off with a piece of tough string, then leant back to admire his handiwork. "It looks good," he said, his voice just as quiet as Mihai's; he was strangely reluctant to break the silence.

Mihai turned to look at him. "I didn't know you could braid."

"I did it for my cousins," Gabriel said. "I always used to brush and then braid their hair..." He trailed off, hit by a sudden realization.

Mihai saw the change on his face. "What is it?"

"I just...I started to braid your hair automatically."

Mihai tilted his head. "And...?"

"I...I used to do that at home. With my cousins. Where I felt...at home." Gabriel swallowed. "I haven't...felt at home, like this, since I left the Lahovary mansion three years ago."

Mihai's face broke into a soft smile. "I'm glad. I...I like that you feel at home here."

Gabriel opened his mouth, but as his eyes met Mihai's, he forgot what he was going to say. "Yes," was all that came out, and he felt himself blush as Mihai laughed. 

"You may be endlessly noble, Gabriel Lahovary, but you're sometimes a bit of an idiot," Mihai said, his voice fond; and then he leant forward and met Gabriel in a soft, gentle kiss.

Gabriel closed his eyes, bringing one hand up to cradle the back of Mihai's head. Mihai's lips were soft, and he smelt faintly of whatever herbs he'd been handling in the shop today. It felt like the culmination of everything he'd felt and realized today, this aching, tender kiss; and when Mihai pulled away, Gabriel found he couldn't stop smiling.

"I suppose that idiotic grin is a good thing," Mihai said, treating Gabriel to his sceptic raised eyebrow again.

"I promise, I'm usually stoic and brooding."

Mihai leant forward and slipped his arms around Gabriel's neck. "You know," he whispered, "I think I like the real you better."

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


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